1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a personal hygiene apparatus and more particularly to an assembly that may be attached to or be made a part of a conventional bathroom water closet for cleansing and irrigating the posterior or anal (hereinafter referred to as "anal") and genital or vaginal (hereinafter referred to as "genital") areas of users of the water closet, such areas of users being sometimes referred to herein generically as the crotch area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Bidets have for many years been in use throughout the world, but primarily in Europe, for cleansing and irrigating a person's anal and/or genital areas by flushing them with a spray of water. Bidets are typically unitary structures having a single purpose and are normally provided in bathrooms along with conventional toilets.
The benefits to be desired by both male and female persons who use bidets are numerous. These benefits are readily recognized and appreciated by persons suffering from painful hemorrhoids, diarrhea or constipation and by post-surgery patients and post-childbirth patients. Additionally, people, both male and female, without any of the foregoing conditions or disabilities can enjoy the benefits of greater cleanliness and improved hygiene by regular use of a bidet.
The principal reason for bidets not becoming more commonplace in homes is the expense associated with the installation of a separate bidet in a bathroom. The bidet is generally very expensive and often there is inadequate space in a bathroom for installation of a separate bidet.
It is therefore desirable to provide a bidet, either as a retrofit or as original equipment for a conventional water closet. The prior art includes a limited number of devices for attachment to a conventional toilet bowl or toilet seat for cleansing and irrigating the anal and/or genital areas of a user. Examples of such prior art bidet attachments are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,256,531, 4,334,329, 4,807,311, 4,926,509, 4,259,754, and 4,995,121; each of which discloses an attachment or assembly for mounting either on the upper surface of a toilet bowl or the under surface of a toilet seat for cleansing and irrigating the anal and/or genital areas.
Most of the prior art devices have been extremely complex, unsightly, difficult to install and have failed to meet appropriate sanitary standards, thus they have not been readily accepted.